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Debate highlights divisions on copyright reform

MEPs and experts argued over copyright reform on Tuesday (11 November), during a public hearing organised by the European Parliament’s legal affairs and culture committees.

Martin Kretschmer, professor of intellectual property law at the University of Glasgow, told MEPs that the debate over copyright reform was tainted by a number of myths, including that current copyright rules served authors and musicians well.

This claim was hotly disputed by Burak Özgen, a legal adviser at the European Grouping of Societies of Authors and Composers, and by Isabelle Feldman, deputy secretary-general of the Club Audiovisuel de Paris, which represents the French audiovisual industry.

Silvia Costa, an Italian centre-left MEP who chairs the culture committee, said one problem was that “operators from outside the European Union have inculpated young people to expect content for free”.

Leonhard Dobusch, assistant professor at the Free University of Berlin, argued that “a good compromise leaves everyone unhappy.”

The legal affairs committee has set up a working group on copyright reform, which will be chaired by Jean-Marie Cavada, a French liberal MEP. Julia Reda, a German Green MEP and member of the Pirate Party, has been asked to assess the existing rules on copyright and their implementation. During Tuesday’s hearing she stressed the need for an “evidence-based approach”.

The information generated by digital technologies has opened a new world of opportunities for consumers and for businesses. But it has also brought new concerns over how those data are used by governments and companies